


A Brief Reprieve

by apollaskywalker



Series: Benjamin and Mary Tallmadge [4]
Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 12:34:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9323840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apollaskywalker/pseuds/apollaskywalker
Summary: Following the Battle of Yorktown, Ben arrives in Philadelphia.





	

Kitty passed the bowl of peas to Mary and wrinkled her nose for the briefest of moments. Betsey had hated peas. Absolutely despised them and would try to hide them under the table. They would roll around and as they got up from the table, the peas would squish under their feet. Rachel constantly complained about cleaning pea mush from the floor, socks, and shoes. Mary passed the dish on, tears pricking her eyes.

A knock at the door summoned Mrs. House away from the table, so luckily she didn’t see all three of the Floyd children pass on the vegetable. Instead they took an extra helping of cranberries. Floyd and the Chancellor were wrapped up in a conversation and therefore avoided Nicky catching his sisters’ eyes and dropping a cranberry on the floor with a wink. Kitty smothered a giggle by turning it into a cough and Mary hastily shoved a spoon in her mouth to hide her response.

“Are you all right, Miss Catherine?” James asked.

“Yes, perfectly,” Kitty flashed him a smile. James flushed and looked back at his plate.

 “Everyone stand up, please!” Mrs. House announced as she returned. “Liza, do get another plate, Nicholas, another chair please. We have another guest joining us, he’s just washing up.” 

Eliza and Nicholas Trist fetched their instructed items and the guests made room for another place. There was an awkward shuffle as they all tried to figure out where to put the new arrival. Eventually they all decided to place him between James and John. “Like Jesus,” Mary whispered to Kitty, who again faked a cough. James presented her with her water glass and suggested she add a little honey to help her throat.

He arrived while Nicholas placed the chair and Eliza filled another glass with water. When the occupants saw him in a military uniform, they rose from their seats, clapped and cheered. Mary couldn’t see who it was as the men hurried over to shake the newcomer’s hand, crowding around him so she could only see the top of his head, the blue ribbon holding his queue in place, the silver epaulet on his shoulder of his blue uniform. Mr. Trist placed his hand on the man’s back and steered him out of the crowd and gestured at the women and Hore. Mary found herself rooted to the floor, wanting to run to him but unable. “You met my mother-in-law, this is my wife Eliza and my son Hore Bowse. And these –“

“You remember my sisters,” Nicoll interrupted. “At least you’d _better_. This, gentlemen, Mrs. House and Mrs. Trist, is Major Benjamin Tallmadge of the Second Continental Dragoons.”

Mary hoped, futilely, that they would rearrange it so he sat next to her. Instead they went with the original plan, Ben between James and John. John promptly asked him about any involvement he might have had during the battle of Yorktown. Mrs. House passed a few dishes Ben’s way. As he served himself some ham, potatoes, and peas, he explained that he had not participated in that campaign. He’d been patrolling neutral territory. The men occupied his time with questions about the campaign, the status of the army, his opinion on this, that, and then some more nonsense.

After dinner, Ben strode over to Floyd’s side and reissued his condolences. Floyd thanked him and for his service, then led him into the sitting room where Kitty promptly sat at the harpsichord and began to play. Nicoll shoved Mary in Ben’s direction. Ben noticed and shot a grateful look at Nicky.

“How have you been, Miss Floyd?” Ben asked politely as the boarders took their places. James, like normal, seated himself in a comfortable chair with a book. John moved two chairs closer to the couch where the Floyds and Ben sat so he and Robert Livingston could join the chat. 

“Fine, thank you. And you, major?”

“Very well, especially this month. It’s a great month for the United States of America.” 

Again, John and Robert occupied most of the discussion. Nicoll would interrupt, hoping to distract them by asking definitions and tangents. Unfortunately, Floyd didn’t seem to understand why his son did that and lamented, “Have you forgotten all that I taught you?”

“I was asking for Mary’s benefit,” Nicoll lied.

“For Mary? Heavens, I found her reading Locke last week!”

“There’s not much outside of treatises on government and economics in this house, you must admit, father,” Mary chided gently. “Besides, reading them is the best cure for sleepless nights.” The men laughed, except Ben who knew better.

One by one, the boarders went to bed, leaving the Floyds with Ben. Floyd bade them good night and kissed both of his daughters, whispering to Kitty that she should not retire until Mary did.

Nicky also said his pleasantries and left. Kitty looked over at the couple. They looked back at her. She shook her head, closed her music book, and went to claim the comfiest chair in the room. Usually Livingston took that chair and Mary and Kitty would scramble for it when it was just the two of them. “I am going to sit here and read,” Kitty announced.

“Would you mind if we went outside?” Ben asked, as if Kitty were Mrs. Floyd and he wanted to make a good impression.

Kitty swung her feet over the arm of the chair and leaned her back against the other arm. If anyone else had been present, Kitty would never have done that! “Don’t go too far from the house,” Kitty picked up the newspaper someone had left behind.

“Yes, Miss Floyd,” Ben rose and gave her a polite bow.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Mary informed him when they closed the door behind them. For being nearly November, the night was pleasantly warm. Ben tipped his head, curious. “Now she’ll act like the queen of England for the rest of the night and I share a bed with her.” 

“Push her out into the harbor,” Ben quipped.

Mary didn’t laugh and in response, Ben took her hand. “I’m so sorry about –“ 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Mary interrupted. “Feels like all I’ve done is talk about it.”

Ben could understand that sentiment. When his mother had died, he’d raged at his father for keeping him from going to Yale. Everyone agreed he was ready for it, intellectually that is. But when he’d laid in bed the first night, Nathan snoring just feet from him, and Ben had hugged himself tightly, heart aching, tears falling down his face, longing for his mother, he knew his father had made the right decision. If he’d gone right after, he would have fallen apart. He didn’t want to poke Mary and have her break.

“But you know what really upsets me?” Mary asked, staring out at the darkness. Without waiting for Ben to prompt her, she continued. “She left us alone to deal with not just Betsy’s death but hers. She was selfish! She just – Betsy died and it was like she gave up – and I _hate_ her for that. We needed her and she –“ Mary’s voice broke. “How can I hate her? My own mother? I shouldn’t –“ Ben let go of Mary’s hand to pull her against him.

“Shhh,” he hushed her, cupping the back of her head with one hand and rubbing her back with the other. Mary sobbed, soaking his waistcoat with her tears. “It’s all right –“

“N-no it’s not! I hate my mo-“

“You don’t. You don’t hate her. You miss her and you’re angry. You miss them both. It’s ok to be angry.” 

For a while, Mary just cried and Ben just held her. When she finally calmed down, she drew back but stayed in his embrace. She sighed. “I understand, though. I miss Betsy too and I can’t imagine…losing a child…I think it would kill me too.”

Ben’s arms tightened around her again.

“I’m sorry to be such a wet blanket,” Mary apologized.

“No, don’t be. I wish I could have been here earlier.”

“When do you have to leave?”

“Tomorrow afternoon,” he admitted reluctantly.

They talked of the war, of Yorktown, of how Mary’s French and music lessons were going, of how Caleb and Anna were, and when Ben couldn’t suppress a yawn, both agreed it was time to retire.

Inside, Kitty had fallen asleep in the chair. Instead of waking her, Ben scooped Mary’s little sister up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to the bed she and Mary shared. He assured Mary that he would lock up and put out the fire before he retired to his quarters. Ben gave Mary a quick kiss, wished her pleasant dreams, and left.

**Author's Note:**

> Look, HAND TO GOD I AM NOT MAKING UP that kid's name. Yeah, I don't get it either.
> 
> So, roll call: James = James Madison, the Chancellor/Robert = Robert Livingston, John is...well, I couldn't decide which one I wanted to go with, so who cares? There were a few Johns at Mrs. House's boarding house. 
> 
> Also, the Floyd siblings are like the best wingmen around. Honestly.


End file.
